The Retirement Party

~ A Communal Exercise in Character ~

The hallway was silent.  Normally that wouldn’t be out of the ordinary, being after hours and all, but Maggie’s retirement brought everyone out of the woodwork – who could pass up free cocktails?  Old and new employees alike had spilled into the hall with a steady ebb and flow all night.

I stepped outside for only a minute – well, maybe five but that’s not the point – I needed the fresh air.  So many bodies laughing and talking filled the room with spent carbon dioxide, and really who want to breathe someone elses second-hand air all night?

The hallway yawned and stretched farther than it ever had when the music was on.  My shoe squeaked as I shifted my weight and straightened my good blazer.  The double doors to the large meeting room shifted and swayed as if recently jostled.

The lights dimmed.  I glanced at my watch: midnight — power-saving efforts regulated by the company.

The hall remained silent.

I reached for my Crackberry.  “Don’t be an idiot,” I said.  The sound carried forward, eaten by the room at the end of the hall.  Still, I kept my thumb on speed-dial and took one step forward.

*     *     *

So, what do you think –

Is this character male or female?

What are your clues?

How do you think this scene will end?

Categories: Fiction

Tags: character building, character development, contemporary, endings, fiction, flash fiction, suspense